OPERATOR: O.K., that’s O.K. Let’s get you back over to the window where the light is, all right? Walk toward the light. (Pause.) What’s your name, mam?

DEBBIE: Debbie.

OPERATOR: Hi, Debbie. I’m Cherise.

DEBBIE: Hi, Cherise.

OPERATOR: You did the right thing by calling today, DEBBIE. I’m going to get some people over there soon to help you, O.K.? And I’ll stay with you on the phone until they get there. Do you understand?

DEBBIE: I think so.

OPERATOR: Now, Debbie, did you eat anything today?

DEBBIE: Yes. Many times.

OPERATOR: Are you eating now, Debbie?

DEBBIE: I keep putting things in my mouth alot.

OPERATOR: O.K., can you tell me what food you’ve eaten today?

DEBBIE: You mean everything?

OPERATOR: Yes.

DEBBIE: I don’t know exactly. I mean, I started out with breakfast before I walked the dog . . . scrambled eggs with toast and coffee . . . and then I think I maybe had a bowl of cereal when the dog had a nap.

OPERATOR: Is that it?

DEBBIE: Like an hour or so later . . . I had a banana with peanut butter.

OPERATOR: Did you slice the banana?

DEBBIE: No. I dipped it right into the jar, because no one was watching. (Pause.) No one watches.

OPERATOR: So no plate or anything?

DEBBIE: No.

OPERATOR: And that was it until lunch?

DEBBIE: No

OPERATOR: What else did you have?

DEBBIE: I made a quesadilla . . . another bowl of cereal, I think . . . and some pretzels, the flat ones that are like chips. I love those.

OPERATOR: Those are good. (Pause.) And did you have lunch after that or was that lunch?

DEBBIE: (Pause.) I remember ham . . . lots of ham.

OPERATOR: In a sandwich?

DEBBIE: No. No sandwich. Just ham pieces. (Pause.) There were also some . . . spoonfuls of chocolate frosting, two or three . . . green peppers, I think, and yogurt. A large tub of yogurt. Peach.

OPERATOR: O.K., Debbie, you understand that what you just described isn’t really lunch, right?

DEBBIE: It is lunch. When there are no rules, it is lunch, Cherise!

OPERATOR: Did you at any point dip the green peppers in the peach yogurt?

DEBBIE: Probably. Sorry.

OPERATOR: That’s O.K. (Pause.) Now, Debbie, did you get any work done today?

DEBBIE: I don’t think so. I was supposed to make a custom necklace and mail it today for a client and I . . . I started it . . . I started the necklace.

OPERATOR: And then you stopped?

DEBBIE: The Internet has fun things for me to do . . . so I did them. (Pause.) I think I played some guitar, too . . . oh, and I separated all the dimes from my change jar, which took a while.

OPERATOR: Why did you do that?

DEBBIE: I have four hundred and seventy-nine dimes.

OPERATOR: (Pause.) Anything else?

DEBBIE: Then I got sucked into watching a YouTube video about meerkats.

OPERATOR: A documentary?

DEBBIE: Yeah. (Pause.) And then that led me to . . . other videos . . . that weren’t documentaries. . . . It’s not important.

OPERATOR: So you started to watch snapchat videos didn’t you?

DEBBIE: Yes.

OPERATOR: You went from meerkats straight to snapchat videos?

DEBBIE: That’s right, yeah.

OPERATOR: (Pause.) And how long did you spend watching videos?

DEBBIE: It doesn’t matter because I make my own schedule . . . you know? (Pause.) Cherise?

OPERATOR: I understand. Now, since you didn’t get any work done, do you think you may have exercised today?

DEBBIE: I don’t remember. . . . It’s possible, I guess.

OPERATOR: Can you look around the house for me and tell me if you see any signs that you may have exercised? Sneakers, gym shorts, ThighMaster? Anything.

DEBBIE: Uh . . . I don’t see anything, I don’t think. (Pause.) Wait, I see a yoga mat.

OPERATOR: Oh, O.K., good. Is it your yoga mat?

DEBBIE: No.

(Sounds of hysterical sobbing.)

OPERATOR: Debbie? I need you to stay with me, O.K.? The E.M.T.s should be there shortly, and I’m going to need you to let them in. Can you do that?

DEBBIE: O.K.

OPERATOR: You mentioned a mailing earlier. What time do you have to mail your client’s piece today, Debbie?

DEBBIE: 4:30.

OPERATOR: O.K., well, the E.M.T.s are going to help you get that necklace ready for mailing and get you showered and changed.

DEBBIE: It’s just a standard mailing…no tracking needed.

OPERATOR: Regardless. And they’ll help tidy things up around there before your mailman gets there, O.K., Debbie?

DEBBIE: Thank you.

OPERATOR: But, until they get there, no more eating and no more meerkat videos, O.K.?